Pure electric vehicles are classified as Class 9 Dangerous Goods due to their large lithium batteries, leading to strict shipping regulations. Shipping companies have high requirements for the loading position and fire isolation measures for dangerous goods, and some roll-on/roll-off ships refuse to accept used EVs. As a result, EVs often require more expensive special container shipping and incur additional handling fees for hazardous materials.

A professional pre-shipment inspection typically costs a small fraction of the vehicle price and routinely pays for itself. A thorough inspection covers: paint thickness measurement across 30+ points to map body repairs; structural assessment of pillars, rails and crossmembers for accident damage; engine and transmission operation; a full electronic scan for fault codes; suspension and underbody checks for leaks and rust; and, for EVs, battery SOH and thermal management performance. You receive a written report with photos before the car is loaded — if the car fails, you can stop the shipment or renegotiate. Skipping the inspection to save a small fee is the classic false economy in used car importing: discovering a problem after arrival is far more expensive than preventing it at origin.

This is a key legal issue. If the inspection is conducted by a third party appointed by us, we will be the primary responsible party and provide limited compensation to you, after which we will seek reimbursement from the inspection agency; if the inspection agency is designated by you personally (such as SGS), you will need to file a claim directly with that agency according to its service terms.